Washington state workers represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees, the Washington Public Employees Union and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees staged a walkout Sept. 10 to signal their disappointment in negotiations between the state and its workers.
Kitsap County was the site of several walkouts, including the Bremerton office of the Department of Children, Youth and Families; the Washington Veterans Home in Port Orchard; and Olympic College. The walkout was held at employees’ lunch hour, or workers took vacation time to participate.
The unions claim they are seeking livable wages and safe staffing levels.
Union officials say the state has proposed a cut in pay for workers for the contract that would begin next year and extend through 2027, the WPEU website says. “Washington employees have lost 20% to 30% of their purchasing power,” the website claims.
In a video posted to Facebook, one union member speaking to the employees outside the Department of Children, Youth and Families, said that 40% of the state workforce has turned over in the last eight years. Despite that, she says they preserve the environment, protect the public, maintain colleges and keep the economy moving.
State Reps. Tarra Simmons and Greg Nance, both from the 23rd District, which includes Bremerton and portions of Kitsap County, were at the Bremerton walkout and are seen speaking in videos on the Facebook post. “I appreciate the work you do,” Simmons says. “And you should be taken care of so that you can keep providing that quality customer service to our most vulnerable people and not be stressed yourselves.”
Nance’s comments were cut short in the video, but he said, “We’ve got your back in Olympia, and we’re showing that we do that together.”
Nance told the paper Sept. 12, “Washington state employees work hard every day to deliver the services that we count on. A new contract with fair wages and safe staffing is vital to retain our workforce and keep the health of our communities. “
When contacted directly, Simmons declined comment.
Emily Larson, budget analyst at Olympic College and WPEU shop steward at the school, said that she couldn’t comment about specifics in negotiations as they are ongoing. “But we were out at the school entrance on Warren Avenue from noon until 1 p.m. with the informational picket, and we had support from our faculty here at the college, which was encouraging,” she said.
Chuck Pirtle, Local president of WFSE 1181 in Kitsap County, said that the walkout was the biggest labor action demonstration in years. “We’re hoping the Office of Finance and Management took notice,” he said. “This goes back quite a way. We went from 2008 to 2015 without a raise, and even took a 3% cut. Many of our employees haven’t really even come back from that, and that creates turnover in our ranks, and deteriorates the quality of the state services we provide.”
